Here is a great house that is in wonderful shape. 3229 Dover Ave, Alpharetta off exit 10 of 400. The home has a large updated kitchen, a master on main, a large fenced in backyard, sits back from the street, 2 car garage, and so much more. $285,500 4 bedroom 2.5 bath in great shape.

Thanks

Hi There,

Looks like you have a good start on answers to your questions. Buying your first home is an exciting experience and you really should have FUN doing it! Our team lives and works in the Alpharetta and Cumming areas and can help you not only find the perfect home for you and your wife, but make the process easy and fun! My partner Maria is a buyers agent and we have another buyers agent Melinda as well. They are both excellent. They listen to you, get to know you and your interests and help direct you in all aspects of the buying experience. There are many options out there right now. You want both a great deal and a great house, so that it will resell well and idealy make you money. Then, I'll be ready to help you sell and move on to your next home! We won't sell you anything we can't resell for you!

Our team will help you by previewing homes for you while you work, thus reducing your time in the car, offer suggestions on lenders, home inspectors and have a great list of vendors for anything you may need to do to the house after your purchase. Our job doesn't stop when you purchase. We're here for you any time you need us. Clients call us everyday with vendor needs, questions about what to remodel, property taxes, etc. We love what we do and we love staying in touch with our clients!

So if you're ready to get started, Call Maria today, 678-548-5513. Feel free to check out our website too. There is a mortgage calculator, community information as well as school information (which may not matter to you know but does affect resale) and information on us. Maria just helped another young couple purchase their first home and they are a finalist now to get on the show House Hunters on HGTV!!! Exciting! They have asked us for more participants too... if you're ready to be famous. :)

Best of luck to you in your search process! We look forward to hearing from you.

Sherry
Sherry and Maria Team http://www.sherryandmariateam.com
Sherry- 678-283-1710
Maria-678-548-5513

Stats are a double edged sword....unless target info is applied the results are worthless. Around the Windward area variables include: east or west of 400; price range; style; home design; homes size....everyone knows Atlanta is a series of submarkets and the trends of different areas and even different types of homes (3BR vs 4-5BR, 200-300K vs 400-500K) can vary greatly. In the area this buyer is looking we have to also consider the standing inventory of new homes, REO's and shorts - banks and builders are dumping right now. I just did a bunch of homes for UCB in a community just north of Windward on Hwy 9 - new 2800-3000SF 5BR/3B running 210K-240K - nice homes and really great prices.

Given those opportunities I almost always recommend detached over attached. If maintenance is an issue, hire a landscaper:) - bottom line is that when it's time to sell, detached homes will have better and wider market appeal. Detached homes tend to have a much narrower target market and a large number of buyers in Alpharetta tend to be families with kids - attracted by the schools and amenities.

You buy a home to live in, not to make money - people lost sight of that. If it appreciates; great, but my main focus is offering options to a client, getting them the best possible deal and ensuring that when it's time to sell (which often happens sooner than expected) that they will be able to get out without losing their keister.

Experienced agents like all of us know that we should approach every client as a clean slate with no firm preconceived notions on what will or won't work; until the data is cut 10 different ways we really don't know what the end result will be. Despite 20 years of appraising and selling I'm seeing things weekly in this market that make my head spin, there are no slam dunks right now.

Hank

. Hi Mandy,
Let me rephrase my earlier comment about Whittington. As Hank alluded to in his most recent post on this thread, single family attached home purchases are much more a lifestyle choice vs an investment choice. If a Buyer is looking for the convenience of a low maintainance lifestyle and low priced home then a single family attached home might be an option for them. They just need to be aware that with our current glut of inventory in this arena that unless they are buying 10-20% or more below current market value they are going to get very little appreciation, if any, out of their investment over the next few years. If they do choose a townhome I would recommend a 2-story, like Mandy's listing, or even one that is only attached by a common storage room on the side of the unit or even those that have common walls dividing actual living areas, vs a 3-story unit.

While Whittington has the drawbacks of tight streets in the 3-story area, and being surrounded by apts and other townhomes, it does have better flow through the 2-story area. It's also in Alpharetta, but with low Forsyth taxes, just two miles from Windward and GA 400, is relatively new, has a community pool, and you can get some of the best home grown, vine ripe tomatoes and other fresh vegetables from the local farmer less than a mile up Tidwell Road...cheap too. You also have the advantage of a myriad of useful backroads to dodge the main traffic arteries in the area.

Overall the metro Atlanta area has averaged about 10,000 actively listed single family attached homes for the past year with about 500 average sales per month. That's about 20 or so months of inventory. We did top out in June with about 744 sales...a good...yet expected seasonal increase. Alpharetta has averaged about 31 sales per month for April, May and June which puts us at about 14+ months of inventory with our current number of active listings at 432.

Hank, your a great and well respected stats guy, Realtor and appraiser in this forum, how have the average and median sales prices played out over the last year for these types of homes? What are your thoughts on prices going forward over the next few years.

Mandy, your listing looks like it is in excellent condition, well staged, with nice upgrades. With your aggressive price yours definitely has a chance of being included in the next month's sales figures. Please accept my humble apology if my earlier comment offended you. It was directed towards the community in general and not you or your individual listing.

Regards,
Deryk

House Hunter,

My colleagues may have already answered many of your questions. Should there still be questions about the process, options, etc., however, I invite you to read the three-part article, "Buying a Georgia Home in 10 Steps" found to the left of the screen at my blog, http://www.AtlantaDownPaymentAssistance.com (Adobe Reader required). There you'll find explanations about lender expectations, the expenses and more. I also have information about online home buying classes.

Please read over all of the information there and then call me for more news!

Thanks and regards
Solomon Greene
REALTOR® / HUD-Certified Affordable Housing Consultant - Keller Williams Realty Atlanta Partners
(678) 775-2677

Wow Deryk, thanks so much for your insight on the Whittington area. Your professionalism is truly unbelievable.

HH -

That's a score you can work with. As Katy pointed out, unless the feds extend the 8K program time is running out to exploit that. The 1800 GA plan is still out there as well with expected limitations - you can see the full details of each on my web page.

One thing to be aware of are the new requirements for loans taken moving forward. Our friends in DC have added additional requirements and "cautions" to mortgage loans - bottom line is things became more complicated. The appraisal arena remains exciting for all the wrong reasons as well - something I'm intimately familiar with as an active appraiser.

I'd suggest to you that a detached home is going to be much more secure than a town home; attached homes have limited appeal and don't fair near as well as a properly purchased detached home. We regualrly pull data from 10/5/3/1 year(s) back as part of our statistical reviews, the trends are often surprising. As I said earlier - be a data hound and understand the process.

As for lenders, I have a very small circle that I confidently recommend - all are stand up experienced folks that I've used for years. Drop me a line/call and I'm happy to offer suggestions backed with data for your questions -

Hank

House Hunter,
You have picked a great time to think about purchasing! My Office had a very informative meeting today about the current market in the area and we were discussing how there are only about 80 days left to put a contract on a house and have enough time to get everything ready to close in time for the November 30th deadline for the $8,000 tax credit. You sound like you are in a perfect position with your large downpayment amount and good credit scores to qualify for a loan. The first step is to get pre-qualifed with a lender( of which I have some names of some great lenders that I have used with many other clients) so that we know how much you are able to afford. There are so many options out there right now. Tons of inventory, low prices and low interest rates! We will not see prices this low again in our lifetime!
I live in the Alpharetta/Windward area and would love the opportunity to sit down with you and your Wife and talk about your goals, needs and wants! I look forward to helping you achieve your dream of owning a home.

Katy Foltz
REALTOR
Keller Williams Realty Community Partners
Mobile: 678 860 2220
Fax: 678 341 7969
Kfoltz@kw.com http://www.FrontPorchDream.com

You can search for homes on my website!

Those scores are well above the minimum requirements for most financing. As long as your debt to income ratio is good you should have no problem with financing and several mortgage options. If you have more finance questions try calling John Norwood with Neighborhood Mortgage at 678-549-9371. He is a local lender in this area and will be happy to answer any financing questions and give you a list of mortgage options ........again with no strings attached.
Deryk

UPDATE : I have a credit score of 714 and wifey has 721..how does that fit in to this equation?

Your first step is to get in touch with a lender and have them do a pre-approval for you. This will tell you what price range you can look in. There are many options for you in and around the Windward area in what will likely be your price range. In addition to a down payment, you will also have closing costs on your new loan to consider but your lender will walk you through all of that. You can estimate that properties taxes will run around 1%.

Feel free to get in touch for recommendations of a lender or help in searching for a home. I live and work in the Alpharetta area. You can also use the search option on website (see below) to view properties on the market. I can also set up a customized search for you and will email you daily as properties that match your criteria become available.

I would be happy to assist in any way I can.

Siobhan Schaeffer
Realtor
Solid Source Realty
770-475-1130x5457
404-641-3373
SSchaeffer@solidsourcerealty.com http://www.SchaeffersRealEstate.com

Hi House Hunter,
We live on Lake Windward in the Windward Community and work the Alpharetta, Cumming and surrounding area exclusively. My Wife, Debi, shows properties in the area daily and is very familiar with the inventory. There are some great opportunities for Buyers out there right now and we can help with all the tax credits...etc. We handle, first time home buyers, regular sales, short sales...you name it. We would love to sit down with you and discuss your options...no strings attached. Our office is at Windward and GA400 so it should be very convenient to you. We have helped over 70 families with their real estate needs in this area JUST THIS YEAR ALONE. Many of them work with Verizon, AT&T, ADP, Choicepoint/Lexis-Nexis and other businesses on Windward Pkwy. Please send us an email at info@keylocationsforyou.com or call Debi at 770-906-0317 to discuss your needs further.
Regards,
Deryk Harper
Broker Associate
Keller Williams Realty North Atlanta
5780 Windward Parkway Suite 100
Alpharetta, GA 30005
770-722-6922

I will have a listing in that area tomorrow that is $30,000 below what was paid for a couple years ago. It's a fabulous 3 BR town home Westside Villas. By the numbers you described it looks like you can afford $200,000-$225,000. Unfortunately, most in Alpha in that price range will be townhomes. Good news is the prices on them have come down so far that they are now not that bad of an investment. The one I am about to put on the market will be for $219,000. Double Master on the second level. Guest bedroom and full bath on the ground floor. Taxes in that price range rough estimate are $2200-$2400/yr. As far as house compared to town home, you have to decide what works best for you. Lifestyle, location, cost? Those are some factors to consider. I don't think you are going to find a lot of options in that price range in Alpharetta. It just depends on what you are looking for and what you are willing to accept. I'd be glad to help more if you would like to contact me.

Sincerely,
David Brower, Associate Broker
Crye-Leike Realtors
678-982-9600
david@davidwbrower.com

You need to get pre-qualified for a mortgage first to see how much you can qualify for. I recommend Jennifer Brown with LoanSouth mortgage. http://www.loansouth.com/jbrown Her office # is 770-709-6739, cell 404-409-6875 email is jb@loansouth.com. Tell her I sent you.

I actually have a townhome listing for sale off of Windward pkwy in the Whittington Subdivision. It's 3bdrm/2.5 bath priced at $149,900. Here's a link http://www.postlets.com/res/1990694

Sounds like you could use a buyer's agent to help you with your purchase.
I live and specialize in the area you are looking and would like to help in any way I can.
Please email me at mandy@CallMandyBecker.com with any questions

You options are many but your first steps are critical to your future financial stability.

1. Understand and be confortable with the mortgage process and the monthly expense of owning a home.
2. Understand and be absolutely confident in the agent that you select and the research presented to you - NO BASELESS OPINIONS.
3. Ask questions and understand the overall process, surround yourself with experts and be confident with your purchase.

Needless to say your options are only limited by your requirements so the more specific you are with what you want the better the options presented will be. DON NOT GET HUNG UP ON FORECLOSURES is my advice, I know that market well both as a Fannie Mae foreclosure appraiser and a broker. Find a home that you like and deal with whatever the situation is with it.

I work the Roswell/Alpharetta area extensively both selling and appraising - it's all about the data with me and every client of mine sees what I see. Drop me a line, I'm happy to offer opinions.

Hank Miller, SRA, ABR
Associate Broker & Certified Appraiser
Prudential GA Realty
678-428-8276